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Tringa solitaria

Wilson, 1813

Solitary Sandpiper

G5Secure Found in 59 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105827
Element CodeABNNF01070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyScolopacidae
GenusTringa
Other Common Names
Chevalier solitaire (FR) Maçarico-Solitário (PT) Playero Solitario, Pitotoy Solitario (ES)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
The solitary sandpiper is the nearctic counterpart to the palearctic green sandpiper (Tringa ocrophus). Two subspecies are recognized: Tringa solitaria solitaria (breeds east of eastern British Columbia) and T. s. cinnamomea (breeds in Alaska and western Canada) (Moskoff 1995). The two subspecies have been found together on neotropical wintering grounds (Moskoff 1995).

Recent mtDNA studies by Hebert et al. (2004) identified a deep divergence within the species which could result in splitting the species in two; further taxonomic investigation is required.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-10
Change Date1996-11-25
Edition Date2014-07-18
Edition AuthorsGotthardt, T. A., A. Jansen, and G. Hammerson
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Large nesting range in North America; population size is imprecisely known but apparently relatively small for a widespread shorebird; some evidence indicates declining abundance, but better information on trend and threats is needed.
Range Extent Comments
Breeding range extends from central and south-coastal Alaska, northern Yukon, Mackenzie, northern Saskatchewan, northern Manitoba, and northern and central Ontario east through central Quebec to central and southern Labrador, and south to northwestern and central British Columbia, central Alberta, central Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, and northern Minnesota; probably west-central Oregon (AOU 1983). During the nonbreeding season, the range extends from Baja California, Gulf Coast, southeastern Georgia, Florida, and Bahamas south through Middle America and South America to Peru, south-central Argentina, and Uruguay (accidental in Hawaii) (AOU 1983, Moskoff 1995).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of breeding occurrences (subpopulations). Its breeding ground is northern Canada, whic his relatively undeveloped or undisturbed at the present time.
Threat Impact Comments
Assessment of threats is speculative because species-specific research has been difficult due to remote breeding grounds, low densities, and the solitary nature of the species (McCaffery and Harwood 2004). Potential threats include logging of boreal forests and tropical woodland habitats, and wetland loss as a result of drying and human development (Moskoff 1995, McCaffery and Harwood 2004).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

BREEDING: Nests on taiga. Nests in trees in abandoned passerine nests near muskeg and woodland ponds or pools. Also reported as nesting on ground in areas above treeline in Brooks Range, Alaska (see Johnson and Herter 1989).

NON-BREEDING: freshwater ponds, stream edges, temporary pools, flooded ditches and fields, more commonly in wooded regions, less frequently on mudflats and open marshes (AOU 1983); favors areas where vegetation extends to water's edge (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Ecology

Nonbreeding: usually seen singly or in small loose groups (never flocks).

Reproduction

Breeding begins late May to early June (Harrison 1978). Usually 4 eggs. Nestlings precocial.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferGrassland/herbaceousCropland/hedgerow
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLHERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN4B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
ConnecticutSNAYes
FloridaS4MYes
North DakotaSNAYes
AlaskaS4BYes
IdahoS1MYes
WisconsinS4NYes
CaliforniaSNAYes
OhioSNAYes
ArkansasSNAYes
PennsylvaniaS4MYes
WyomingS4NYes
TennesseeS5NYes
West VirginiaSNAYes
New JerseyS4NYes
South CarolinaS4MYes
MassachusettsS4NYes
NevadaS4NYes
TexasS5Yes
WashingtonS3NYes
MichiganSNRNYes
IllinoisSNAYes
New HampshireSNAYes
New YorkSNRNYes
MissouriSNAYes
ArizonaS3MYes
ColoradoS4NYes
South DakotaSNAYes
MarylandSNAYes
MontanaS2BYes
KentuckySNAYes
IndianaS3MYes
MinnesotaSNRBYes
MississippiSNAYes
IowaS5NYes
DelawareS3NYes
KansasS3NYes
New MexicoS4NYes
GeorgiaSNRNYes
AlabamaSNRMYes
Navajo NationSNAYes
MaineS3NYes
VermontSNAYes
District of ColumbiaS3NYes
UtahSNAYes
LouisianaSNAYes
OklahomaSNRNYes
NebraskaSNRNYes
VirginiaSNAYes
Rhode IslandSNAYes
North CarolinaSNAYes
CanadaN5B
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS4BYes
Nova ScotiaSUB,S3MYes
OntarioS4B,S5MYes
Northwest TerritoriesS5Yes
NunavutSUBYes
New BrunswickS2B,S4MYes
SaskatchewanSUBYes
Yukon TerritoryS4BYes
Island of NewfoundlandS4MYes
British ColumbiaS5BYes
LabradorS4B,SUMYes
AlbertaS4BYes
QuebecS4BYes
Prince Edward IslandS4MYes
Roadless Areas (59)
Alaska (2)
AreaForestAcres
Chilkat-West Lynn CanalTongass National Forest199,772
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
California (4)
AreaForestAcres
Black ButteLos Padres National Forest5,116
Chips CreekLassen National Forest29,089
Fox MountainLos Padres National Forest52,072
Mt. JacksonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest20,721
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
FibreHiawatha National Forest7,432
Montana (9)
AreaForestAcres
Cube Iron - SilcoxLolo National Forest36,998
Freezeout MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest97,305
Hyalite - Porcupine - Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study AreaGallatin National Forest143,991
Lost Water CanyonCuster National Forest9,251
Lost Water Canyon RnaCuster National Forest561
MadisonGallatin National Forest127,859
Mt. Gmt Area HCuster National Forest1,335
North AbsarokaCuster National Forest21,063
RattlesnakeLolo National Forest2,881
New Hampshire (7)
AreaForestAcres
KearsargeWhite Mountain National Forest4,554
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
Mt. Wolf - Gordon PondWhite Mountain National Forest11,846
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
Alamo CanyonSanta Fe National Forest8,639
Pecos WS RiverSanta Fe National Forest5,396
Oregon (4)
AreaForestAcres
HellholeUmatilla National Forest65,679
Hurricane CreekWallowa-Whitman National Forest1,606
Mt. BaileyUmpqua National Forest18,401
SherwoodUmpqua National Forest2,449
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sycamore CreekCherokee National Forest6,984
Utah (4)
AreaForestAcres
0401002Ashley National Forest36,113
Fishlake MountainFishlake National Forest25,217
Little CreekFishlake National Forest11,479
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Griffith Lake 09084Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,833
Virginia (7)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Hunting Camp Little Wolf CreekJefferson National Forest8,953
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
Washington (8)
AreaForestAcres
Devils GulchWenatchee National Forest24,419
Grassy TopIdaho Panhandle National Forests13,485
Harvey CreekColville National Forest10,140
HorseshoeGifford Pinchot National Forest7,579
Mt. Baker MaMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest24,847
NaneumWenatchee National Forest4,508
Pasayten RimOkanogan National Forest17,074
Willow SpringsUmatilla National Forest10,414
West Virginia (5)
AreaForestAcres
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Wyoming (2)
AreaForestAcres
Teton Corridor TrailheadsBridger-Teton National Forest286
West Slope TetonsTarghee National Forest47,448
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